The Lay of Richard Rollings, Troubadour and Poet d’Amore
THE LAY OF RICHARD ROLLINGS
(as told in Middle English by Aneleda Falconbridge)
Forswear thy pledge, myn weneth
nat everich oon yeven thilke
I but mine thoughts unbinden
ant thou understandan mak.
Neuer ic the ne yeve away
Neuer ic the nolde na doun
Neuer ic sette forth and forsake thee
Neuer ic yelde wepen mak
Neuer ic farewell spake
Neuer ic thee disceyve and peyne
We ken our leman mony a day
achen thou hart, thou fain would ne hit spake
we ken wot is now befalle
we wyste the sport and we wolde it play
Ant shoud thou ask mine heart,
are thee ne blind to ken?
Neuer ic the ne yeve away
Neuer ic the nolde na doun
Neuer ic sette forth and forsake thee
Neuer ic yelde wepen mak
Neuer ic farewell spake
Neuer ic thee disceyve and peyne
Neuer ic the ne yeve thou.
This performance was recorded at the East Kingdom Bardic Championship in February 2023.
lyric and arrangements © 2013 & 2023 Monique Bouchard (known in the #SCA as Aneleda Falconbridge) inspired by the immortal poet #rickastley
I’d long wanted to perform this piece, which I translated to Middle English many years ago. It was just a couple days ago, however, that I discovered how I would finally set it to harp and sing it. This is its debut performance, live, at a performance event Saturday.
The story our poet tells is one of great and enduring love. He speaks of faithfulness, loyalty, and perseverance–among the best of the chivalric virtues…you may recognize its inspiration.